Betrothed
by Musical Ninja
Summary: Soon after the birth of his son, Stoick the Vast makes a deal with Berserker chief Oswald the Agreeable to betroth their children, Hiccup and Heather, in order to guarantee that the peace treaty holds. After Heather's disappearance as a small child, Stoick believes the betrothel is off. However, years later, she is found and now he, Hiccup, and even Heather must decide what to do.
1. A Long Kept Secret

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the Dragons series. The series is property of DreamWorks animation studios and Netflix.

 **Author's Note:** This is an idea that pops into my head a lot. I've noticed nobody else does a story like this, so I decided to do it. I hope it works out. This takes place during Race to the Edge, after the reveal that Heather is Dagur's sister.

My idea was that Stoick the Vast and Oswald the Agreeable decided to guarantee their alliance. To unite their two tribes through a marriage between their children should they have children of opposite genders. When Oswald has his second child, his daughter Heather, and Stoick's wife Valka has their first child, their son Hiccup, they make it an official betrothel.

Well, here goes nothing.

* * *

 **A Long Kept Secret**

 _-Berk, Eighteen years ago-_

Stoick had waited nervously for hours to hold thr child his wife Valka was giving birth to. He was happy, but at the same time concerned because the baby was earlier than they had expected. He finally heard a baby cry and knew immediately what that meant. The healer, Gothi, came out and gave him the news. His friend Gobber translated for him that the baby was a boy but he was small and not very strong compared to most babies. Despite this, Stoick refused to give up on him. He believed his son would make it. And his faith was rewarded. Valka affectionately named the baby boy Hiccup.

Once it was confirmed that little Hiccup would survive, many chieftains sent presents for Stoick's baby boy. Stoick even gave his son a tiny axe, which Valka was not pleased about in the least. Later on, the Hooligan tribe was visited by their latest ally tribe, the Berserker tribe and their chief Oswald the Agreeable. The man even brought his own children, his three year old son Dagur and his five month old daughter Heather.

"It's good to see you old friend," Stoick happily greeted his friend. He looked down at Dagur and asked, "And how have you been, Dagur?"

"Pretty good," said Dagur. He then sported a deranged grin and shouted, "Take this!"

Dagur swiftly kicked Stoick in the stomach and ran away laughing. Oswald groaned and face palmed while Stoick groaned in agony.

"Oh, that little fucker is gonna get it for kicking the chief!" Spitelout shouted.

"Spitelout!" His wife shouted, holding their three month old son Snotlout in her arms. "Not in front Snotlout!"

"Relax, dear," Spitelout said as though it was no big deal. "He doesn't understand. He probably won't even remember I said it."

"If his first word turns out to be a profanity, I will break your arm so bad it will take months to heal properly," Spitelout's wife warned him in a dark tone. She then turned smiled at her baby and said in a sweet tone, "Come on, honey. It's almost nap time."

Spitelout shook nervously as he watched his wife walk away with their son. He then followed close behind, inwardly praying to the gods that his son woukd not repeat any curse words he said.

After that, Oswald turned his attention to the Hooligan chief and said in an apologetic tone, "I'm so sorry, Stoick. I just don't know what to do with him."

"It's alright, Oswald. I'll be fine," said Stoick, recovering from the kick. "Boy, he's got a strong kick for a child his age."

"If only he'd put it to good use," Oswald said, rolling his eyes.

"Is this little Heather?" Stoick asked sweetly upon noticing the baby in Oswald's arms.

"Yes, it is," Oswald happily answered. "Brought her and Dagur all the way here to meet your little Hiccup."

"That sounds like a good idea," said Stoick. "He's at the house right now with Valka. Let's go."

"Alright," said Oswald. "Dagur! We're going to Stoick's house! Put down that axe!"

* * *

Once they got to Stoick's house, Valka happily greeted Oswald and the children.

"Hello, Oswald," Valka said happily. "And hello to you too, Dagur. And you, little Heather."

"Dagur, this is my wife Valka," said Stoick. "Your sisters horn as a gift was her idea. She wasn't pleased with my choice for yours when you were born."

"You gave him a sword, Stoick," said Valka, clearly annoyed. "That's dangerous for a baby."

"He's the future chief," Stoick said. "Learning to fight is essential."

"When they're old enough to hold them, yes," Valka argued, now looking a little scary. "And you did it again with Hiccup! Only it's an axe this time!"

"Uh, Stoick, Valka," Oswald said, getting their attention. "The baby."

"Oh, right," Valka said, calming down. She smiled and said, "Hiccup's over here."

Valka led Oswald and Dagur to a cradle and allowed them to look inside. Hiccup smiled and laughed when he saw them.

"He's adorable," said Oswald.

"Why is he so puny?" Dagur asked. "He's even smaller than Heather."

"Dagur!" Oswald scolded. "It's rude to ask questions like that."

"It's okay, Oswald. Really," said Valka. She looked at Dagur and explained, "Hiccup was born earlier than we were expecting. As a result, he isn't as big as other babies that were born this year."

"He's actually the third one of his name in our family," said Stoick. "His full name is Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III."

"Oh," said Dagur. "Can I hold him?"

Before Oswald could say 'no', Valka smiled and said, "Of course, sweetie." Valka picked Hiccup up out of the cradle and handed him over to Dagur. "Careful, now. Support his head."

"I got it," said Dagur, holding the baby according to Valka's instructions. To Oswald's surprise, Dagur was not dropping or trying to hurt the baby like he had feared he would do to Heather.

Seeing that Valka had a handle on things, Oswald decided to talk with Stoick about something he had been meaning to talk to him about.

"Valka, would you mind watching the children for a bit?" Oswald asked. "I wanted to discuss something with Stoick."

"I don't mind at all," said Valka. Oswald handed his daughter over to Valka and she smiled and said to her, "Come on, Heather. Let's play with the boys."

While Valka played with the children, Stoick and Oswald went outside to talk in private.

"So, what is it you wanted to talk about?" Stoick asked.

"Remember the terms we included in the peace treaty? The one to make double sure our alliance holds?" Oswald asked.

"I remember," said Stoick. "Why bring this up now?"

"Because now you have a son and I have a daughter," said Oswald. "I think it might be a good idea to go through with it."

"Hold on," said Stoick. "Are you suggesting that we betroth our children?"

"It's to guarantee peace between our tribes," said Oswald. "It's good for the people."

"What about Hiccup and Heather?" Stoick asked. "You're expecting your own daughter to marry someone based on a contract. Someone she just met as a baby."

"You think I don't know that, Stoick?" Oswald asked. "I love Heather and Dagur with all my heart. But, as a chief, I must think about what's best for my people. Even if what's best seems unfair at the time."

"I just don't know," Stoick said with a sigh as he shook his head. "Hiccup is my first born. Right now, my only child. I'm just not sure I like the idea of forcing him into a marriage."

"Consider this, Stoick," said Oswald. "Both of our children have proud heritages. They both are descended from chiefs of two great tribes. Between the two of them, they could produce an heir that could lead both the Hooligan and Berserker tribes into a brighter tomorrow."

"I suppose you're right," said Stoick. Sighed and said, "Alright. I agree to the terms. Hiccup Haddock III will marry Heather Fireheart when they are both of age."

"Let's seal the arrangement in ink," said Oswald.

Oswald and Stoick went to the great hall and signed their peace treaty, along with a marriage contract. Neither of them felt particularly good about arranging for their children to get married so soon after they were born, but they agreed it would be best.

Before leaving, Oswald left his gift for Hiccup. It was a horn, similar to the one Stoick had given him for Heather. It was meant to be both a traditional chieftain gift to a new baby and a betrothel gift, a sign that he was to one day marry Heather.

* * *

-Berk, present day-

Stoick was stunned when Hiccup had showed him Heather's horn, the very horn that he himself had given to Oswald for his newborn daughter. In truth, he had always suspected that she was the same Heather, but he had no real way to confirm it. Hiccup had at first assumed that Heather was his sister, so Stoick corrected him and told him the truth that she was the daughter if Oswald the Agreeable. What he left out, however, was that Hiccup was more connected to her than he realized. Hiccup immediately left to tell Heather about her heritage, leaving Stoick to think on things.

"What's up, Stoick?" Gobber asked his friend when he noticed his guilty expression. "Something on your mind?"

"What makes you think that, Gobber?" Stoick asked.

"Well, for one thing, you've been awfully quiet for about an hour now," Gobber answered. "For another, you've got this kinda guilty look on your face. Did you and Hiccup have a fight before he left?"

"No, Gobber. Nothing like that," said Stoick. Stoick sighed and said, "It's just that certain things have come to light. And I'm concerned for how they'll effect Hiccup."

"What kind of things?" Gobber asked. Stoick was unsure whether or not to answer. "You can tell me. I promise I won't tell anyone."

"You have to swear that this stays between us," said Stoick.

"I swear," said Gobber, putting his hand on his heart and holding up his hook.

"I mean it," said Stoick, seriously. "Not. A. Word."

"I swear," Gobber repeated. "No matter what happens, nothing will make me reveal it unless you want it known. Now, would you tell me already? I ain't getting any younger."

Stoick let out a sigh and asked, "You remember Hiccup's old friend Heather, right?"

"I remember her," said Gobber. "Alvin forced her to work for him by holding her parents hostage."

"Well, as it turns out, those parents of hers adopted her," Stoick explained. "She's really Oswald's daughter."

"Oswald's daughter?" Gobber asked. "The one that disappeared years ago?"

"Yes," said Stoick. "I had always thought she was dead, so I never told Hiccup that..."

Stoick was unsure if he should say anything. Gobber could easily tell that his friend was not saying something.

"Never told Hiccup what?" Gobber asked.

"I never told Hiccup that Oswald and I arranged for him and Heather to be married when they came of age," Stoick said, guilt in his tone.

"You what?!" Gobber asked in shock.

"In order to guarantee that our alliance remained intact, Oswald and I agreed that if we had children of opposite genders, they would be married when they come of age," Stoick explained. "I'm not proud of it, but at the time it seemed like the best thing to do."

"Oh yeah, forcing Hiccup to marry a girl for political reasons was definitely the best move," Gobber sarcastically said.

"Gobber, we've been over this before!" Stoick said in a raised voice. "While a father does what's best for his child, a chief does what's best for his people."

"Even forcing him into a marriage he's been clueless about for his whole life?!" Gobber asked.

"That's just it," said Stoick. "I'm not sure what to do about it. I'm not even sure it still matters with the Berserkers, specifically Dagur, being our enemies."

"Well, you should at least tell Hiccup about it," said Gobber. "Dagur might find out and take advantage."

"You think I haven't considered that?" Stoick asked. "But how do I tell him?"

"I think the only way is to just be direct," said Gobber. "There's really no way to avoid him being at least a little upset."

Stoick sighed and said, "You're right. I'll fly to Dragon's Edge tomorrow and tell him. And whatever happens happens."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** So, what did you people think? Be honest. But no flaming.


	2. The Truth Comes out

**Author's Note:** I just wanted to say that was pleased that this story received so many reviews so soon after publication; positive ones too. I hope that this next chapter is as good as the first.

* * *

 **The Truth Comes Out**

It had been two weeks since the team discovered that Dagur and Heather are brother and sister, and everything was pretty much as normal as it could be. The day started out fairly normal on Dragon's Edge. The Riders decided to get some training done in order to be better prepared for any attacks from Dagur and his new allies, the Dragon Hunters. The real surprise happened during Astrid's morning patrol on Stormfly.

Astrid flew through the sky on Stormfly. All seemed peaceful until Stormfly got her attention. Astrid looked and saw something flying towards the island; like a dragon. So, she got out her spyglass to take a look. She looked puzzled by what she saw. It was Stoick and Skullcrusher.

"Let's go see what's up, girl," Astrid suggested. Stormfly flew over to the Rumblehorn while Astrid called to the rider, "Hey! Stoick!"

Stouck heard the call and stopped for a minute to see a familiar face flying his way. "Astrid!" Stoick greeted as she came closer and stopped.

"What are you doing here?" Astrid asked. "Is everything okay back home?"

"Yes," said Stoick. "Everything's fine back on Berk. Is Hiccup around?"

"Last I saw him, he was in his hut," said Astrid. "Knowing him, he's working on some kind of new invention. Probably the Dragon Fly 3 or 4 or something."

"What?" Stoick asked, both surprised and confused.

"Never mind," said Astrid, not wanting to give the chief bad mental images. "Want me to escort you to the island?"

"I'll manage on my own, Astrid," said Stoick. "But thanks anyway. I'll let you get back to your patrol."

"Okay, chief," said Astrid as she turned Stormfly around. "See you later. Let's go, Stormfly."

With that, Astrid and Stormfly flew away to continue their patrol. Stoick then turned Skullcrusher to the direction of the island. Upon landing, Stoick dismounted his dragon and started walking around looking for his son. He heard chatting and saw the twins walking his way. They halted when they saw Stoick.

"Stoick?!" Tuffnut said in surprise. "Stoick, hi!"

"When did you get here, chief?" Ruffnut asked.

"Just now, actually," said Stoick. "I'm just here to see Hiccup."

"He's in his hut right now, working on some new project," said Tuffnut. "Maybe it'll help him breathe fire!"

"Or maybe it'll help him blow up buildings!" Ruffnut said, very enthusiastic.

"Maybe he's working on something that'll make him invisible, like a Changewing!" Tuffnut enthusiastically said. "That way he can blow things up without being seen!"

"Maybe that and something to shoot spikes like a Whispering Death!" Ruffnut enthusiastically said.

"Or maybe- hey. Where'd Stouck go?" Tuffnut asked after noticing the the chief had left.

"Guess he took off because he didn't wanna hear your annoying babbling" said Ruffnut.

" _My_ annoying babbling?!" Tuffnut angrily asked. "What about _your_ annoying babbling?"

"I'm not annoying!" Ruffnut angrily snapped. "You're annoying!"

"No, I'm not!" Tuffnut yelled. "You are!"

The twins then started to have a fist fight, which Stoick could hear even as he went towards his son's hut. When he finally found his son's hut, he knocked on the door.

"Hiccup. Son, are you in there?" Stoick called.

"Dad? I'm coming! Just give me a- whoa!" Hiccup replied. As he was getting ready to answer the door, Stoick heard a crashing sound.

"Hiccup!" Stoick shouted, and then swiftly opened the door. He found Toothless with his tail wrapped around Hiccup just two feet away from a broken table and some fallen weapons and tools. "What happened?"

"I was working on my new project when I heard you knock," Hiccup explained as he got free from Toothless' tail. "I put my tools down next to these weapons I was gonna fix for the others to answer the door. But I guess I didn't take the weight into account. Luckily, Toothless was here."

"Yes, it was fortunate that he rarely leaves your side. Thank you, Toothless," said Stoick, greatful that he can always count on Toothless to protect his son when he can not be there. Said dragon warbled in reply.

"So, what brings you to the Edge?" Hiccup asked curiously as he stood up. "Is everything okay on Berk?"

"Everything's fine," said Stoick assuringly. He took a breath and added, "I actually came because I need to talk to you about something."

"What is it?" Hiccup asked.

Stoick looked ashamed as he said, "Why don't we go inside and shut the door? It's private and I don't want Snotlout or those twins eavesdropping."

"That's understandable," said Hiccup, shrugging his shoulders. "Come on in."

Stoick walked inside his son's hut and Hiccup shut the door behind him. Stoick took a seat in the first chair he found and Hiccup sat across from him. Stoick was dreading how Hiccup might react to what he was about to tell him.

"So, what's up?" Hiccup asked.

Stoick let out a sigh and said, "Hiccup, you know how some chieftains have to make questionable decisions in order to keep the peace?"

"Yes," Hiccup said in confusion.

"I did about eighteen years ago," Stoick told his son. "I made a deal with Oswald the Agreeable to ensure the peace treaty held."

"Dad, what are you saying?" Hiccup asked, slightly worried about the answer.

"We each had a child in the same year. I had a son and he had a daughter," Stoick explained. "We agreed that our children would marry when they both came of age."

Hiccup's eyes widened in shock as he asked, "Are you telling me that I'm betrothed to Heather?!"

"Yes, I am," said Stoick, ashamed.

"I-I can't believe this," Hiccup said as he paced back and forth. Toothless watched him the whole time. "My whole life, I've been engaged and I didn't know it. Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"She disappeared when she was still small," Stoick explained. "I thought that it didn't matter anymore. But when you revealed her identity, I knew it couldn't stay secret forever."

"Well, what am I supposed to do about this?" Hiccup asked, nearly panicking. "I can't marry Heather, she's my friend. It would never work. She and I don't like each other that way. And-and-"

"You love Astrid," Stoick finished. "I've seen the way you two are."

Hiccup sighed and said, "Exactly, dad. There has to be a way to undue this."

"It's not that simple, son," said Stoick. "It can only be undone by both current chieftains. In other words, myself and Dagur."

"The only way Dagur would want that engagement undone would be by sticking a knife in my back," said Hiccup. And then he sighed and said, "I need some air. I'll take Toothless for a flight."

"Would you like someone to go with you?" Stoick asked. "I can get Astrid or Snotlout to-"

"No," said Hiccup as he opened the door. "I'd actually like to be alone."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea. What with Dagur on the loose," said Stoick. "I'll go with you on Skullcrusher."

"I'm just going for a flight around the island. And I have Toothless with me," Hiccup assured him as he climbed on the dragon. "I'll be fine."

"No offense, son, but things tend to happen to you when you're alone; Toothless or not," Stoick told him, a little bluntly. "So I'm going along with you."

Hiccup sighed and said, "Fine. But can we have a little space?"

"We'll pull back," said Stoick.

With that, the father and son took to the sky on their dragons. Unbeknownst to them, the Snotlout was listening the whole time through a crack in the door. And he could not wait to tell the others.


End file.
